Autodesk Software Used for Analyzers That Help Industries Minimize Emissions

Autodesk, Inc. ADSK -1.39% has named California Analytical Instruments, Inc. (CAI) as the Autodesk July Inventor of the Month for using Autodesk Inventor software and other digital prototyping tools to develop gas analyzers and custom systems that help companies monitor and measure the emission of greenhouse gases.

CAI has more than 1,700 customers in various industries that use their gas analyzers and systems to monitor emissions from a wide variety of pollutant sources, including smokestacks, power plants, refineries and machines powered by internal combustion engines — a category that runs the gamut from automobiles to lawnmowers.

Additionally, CAI’s systems are used to monitor less obvious, but equally potent, sources of emission such as landfills, cattle ranches and even breweries and mushroom farms — all of which release significant amounts of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. CAI’s analyzers are capable of detecting methane — as well as other dangerous gases including carbon dioxide, ammonia, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide — to within just a few parts per million.

“The United States has set the worldwide standard for implementing regulations to minimize emissions, and increasingly lower measurement levels will require new and more sensitive technologies,” said Frank Smith, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CAI. “CAI plans to be at the forefront of development of new products to meet these requirements, and continued use of tools such as Autodesk Inventor will play a major role in keeping our projects both on schedule and cost effective.”

Digital Prototyping Saves Time and Money

Collaborating closely with Autodesk Gold Partner and reseller KETIV, CAI builds its analyzers relying primarily on Autodesk Inventor software as part of Autodesk Product Design Suite and AutoCAD Electrical software. The interoperability between the software programs allows CAI to design all aspects of a custom analytical system, ranging from the console that houses the analyzer, to the motor that powers it, to various pumps, I/O monitors and other ancillary equipment.

When designing its FTIR analyzer — a complex system that relies in part on infrared waves and concave mirrors to measure gas levels — CAI was able to validate the mirror system entirely within the Inventor environment. As a result, CAI avoided having to build multiple physical prototypes, a projected savings of $5,000 per prototype.

“With Digital Prototyping tools from Autodesk, CAI is able to innovate on behalf of its customers in less time and with less overall cost,” said Brenda Discher, vice president, Manufacturing Industry Strategy and Marketing at Autodesk. “This puts CAI’s analyzers in the hands of customers sooner, giving them the tools they need to lessen their impact on the environment, helping to create a path to a greener future.”